Folding poultry-crate



W. C. JONES au 1". N. PRICE.

(No Model.) Y

FOLDING POULTRY CRATE.

No. 551,897. B55511555 D50. 24, 1895.

UNITED STATES' 'PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. JONES AND ISAAC N. YPRICE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING POULTRY-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,897, dated December 24, `1895. I

Application led March 25, 1895. Serial No. 543,047. (No model.)

T0 all whmn t may concern.-

Be it known that we,W1LL1A.M C. JONES and ISAAC N. PRICE, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Poultry-Crates, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to produce a folding poultry-crate, which may be placed in ordinary crate form for transportation of poultry, and which may be folded so as to take up the least space possible when it is desired to return said crate to its starting-point, or to ship it without its burden for any reason.

The ordinary poultry-crate that is now used takes up as much space when empty as when filled with its burden, and the object attained in our invention is the providing of a grate which when empty may be folded up so as to take up the least amount of space possible, and thus save a great amount of room both in shipping and in storing empty poultrycrates. IVe attain these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View f our crate folded into its compact position. end elevation of our crate in an opened position, showing one-half in full and one-half in sectional elevation. This View also shows in dotted position the manner of folding the sides of our crate. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing a part in full and a part in sectional elevation. This view shows the manner of closing the ends of said crate.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the various views. Y

In the drawings, A, A', and A2 represent the top slats of our crate. These slats may be made of strips of wood in the ordinary manner.

A represents the two outside slats, while A2 represents two slats in the central portion. These slats are hinged in the center by means of the cut portion CU and the connecting rod or wire B. This curved portion is cut in a curved-V .form in such a manner that the rod B passes through both parts of the slat A2 an d forms a hinge at the center of the said slat, all of which will clearly appear by reference These slats A2 are to Fig. l of the drawings.

Fig. 2 is an held in position when closed by means of the catch-springs a, which springs catch upon the band C and hold said slats firmly in position. Vhen it is desired to open the top of this crate the springs a` are loosened and the slats A2 may be lifted upon their central hinge. Either side of the slat may be opened in the manner described.

B is a rod passing through the slats of the top of the crate, which rod acts as a hingepiece for said slats as well as a pivot portion for the hinge of the central'slats.

C is a metal strip passing along the ends of the slats at the top of the crate and acts as a framing portion for said top. This strip is fastened to the ends of the top slats by screws or other means, as is described. This metal strip C extends down from the bottom of the top slats a small distance,which extension acts as a stop for the ends of the crate when raised into an opened position.

I) represents the connecting link-piece between the top slat A' and the end E of the crate, which link-piece is attached to said top slat and said end of the crate by means of the pins cl.

E is the end of the crate and may be made 0f the slats H, as illustrated, said end being hinged to the bottom end piece H by means of the hinge H2, as will clearly appear in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

F represents the side piece which is made of the slats G, said side piece F being hinged to the side base-piece G'. By means of the hinge G2 this side piece is held in position when opened by means of the spring-catch G2, which is illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Grepresents the side slats and are generally made of wood in any size or shape desirable.

H represents the end slats and may be made also of wood in any size or shape desirable.

K represents the strip placed on the bottom M of said crate, which strip is made slanting in form and prevents the sides F from bearing on the bottom of the crate, and thus makes a space for the deposit of any dirt that may be left in the bottom of the crate.

L represents pieces which are also of a slanting shape and are for the same use'as the piece K.

M represents the bottom of the crate.

IOO

The crate is opened in such a position for use from its closed position, which is illustrated by Fig. l of the drawings, in the following manner: The top is raised and by so raising it the link D, which is attached to the top and also to the end E, causes said end E to rise, and when said top is lifted to its full height the end E comes into position against the stop C and under the ends of the top slats of the crate, which position is illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and which operation is illustrated in the full part of said figure. The sides F are lifted into position and are held in place by the spring-catch G3, which position is illust-rated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. By so lifting the sides F, which sides are adjacent to and raised against the ends E, said ends are prevented from going inward, while they are prevented f1 om going outward by means of the stop C, as illustrated in the drawings. Thus all of the parts of the crate when opened are held firmly inposition.

In closing the crate the reverse of the operation thus described is followed-namely, the

catch-springs G3 of the side pieces are unfastened and the sides swung down on the hinges G2 until they rest on the cleats K and L, which cleats hold the sides at the required distance from the bottom. The ends E are then swung downward upon the hinges H2 until they rest against the sides, and by so swinging the end piece the top, which is connected to said piece by the link D, also closes down and rests upon said ends, all of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

By thus arranging and fastening the parts of our crate together they may be readily opened and closed, and yet all parts of the crate are so attached to each other and so constructed that it is impossible for any of them to become detached from the others and thus become lost. This is of particular advantage,

in that most of the crates now in use have some parts which are liable to become misplaced and lost, and in the construction of the crate herein described such disadvantages are overcome.

Ve do not desire to limit ourselves to any particularmaterial to be used in the construction of this crate, nor to any particular form or size of the slats and our other constructional portions of said crate, but any convenient form or desirable material may be used in their construction.

Having thus described our invention, what we desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent isl. A folding poultry crate composed of a bottom, beveled slats attached to said bottom, two sides attached to said bottom by hinges, two ends also attached to said bottom by means of hinges, a top attached to said ends by means of a link, a link connecting the top and the ends of said end pieces, which link is of such length that said ends when moved to an upright position will jam firmly against said top, all substantially as described and set forth.

2. A folding poultry crate composed of the bottom M, the slatted sides F attached to said bottom by hinges and having in their upper edge the catches G3, the slatted ends E also attached to the bottom by means of hinges, the vslatted top A having about its ends the stop band C and also having the slats A2 hinged and held as described, the link D attached to said ends and said top as described, and the beveled slats i and L attached to the bottom in such a manner as to act as astop for the sides when folded, all substantially as and for the use set forth.

VILLIAM C. JONES. ISAAC N. PRICE. lVitnesses:

FRED WV. HERSEY, MARY V. WELLER. 

